1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an on-board vehicle communication device for communicating with other vehicles and a memory product recording a computer program for implementing the vehicle communication device and more particularly, to a vehicle communication device and a memory product recording a computer program capable of implementing the communication between vehicles without losing safety.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, a communication method for implementing safe and smooth travel through exchange of information by transmitting and receiving information such as a message, as notification information, from a driver among a plurality of vehicles has been studied (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-098125).
FIG. 22 is a view conceptually showing one example of a communication method among vehicles. Reference numeral 1000 in FIG. 22 designates a first vehicle and four second vehicles 2000, 2000, . . . run around the first traveling (cruising) vehicle 1000. In the circumstance shown in FIG. 22, a monitor mounted on the first vehicle 1000 displays the peripheral second vehicles 2000, 2000, . . . , and when the first vehicle 1000 is to change its lane to a right lane in the circumstance shown in FIG. 22, the driver of the first vehicle 1000 selects the second vehicle 2000 (upper right in the drawing) cruising in back on the right of the first vehicle 1000 as the message destination and sends the message such as “I will change the lane to the right, so please be careful” to that vehicle. When the second vehicle 2000 receives the message and outputs it by means of characters, an image or sound, the driver of the second vehicle 2000 can recognize the movement of the first vehicle 1000, so that a smooth travel can be implemented.